Bengaluru: It’s only Round 2 of the Fide Chess Olympiad in Samarkand but defending champions India are already living dangerously. A day after Arjun Erigaisi lost on the top board against Thailand, Nihal Sarin, on Board 2, was three pawns down and in serious danger before he found an exchange sacrifice and a win. He was the only Indian in the Open team to earn a full point as the games on the other three boards ended in draws, with India going past Indonesia 2.5-1.5 on Thursday.
India’s Women’s Team Secures Victory in Round 2
In the second round of the tournament, India’s women’s chess team, the top seeds, achieved a solid 3-1 victory over Finland. R Vaishali managed a draw in her match, while the remaining team members each secured a win. Meanwhile, second-seeded Georgia faced an unexpected challenge, ending in a 2-2 draw against Montenegro, who entered the round as the 48th seeds. In the men’s section, Arjun was rested after his opening-round loss, allowing R Praggnanandhaa to take the lead on the top board for his first game.
Eleven-year-old Indian-origin wunderkind and reigning British women’s champion Bodhana Sivanandan — who was a reserve player on her debut at the 2024 Budapest Olympiad — is on English women’s top board this time with two wins in two rounds.
Terming the decision to field Gukesh on Board 4 as “disrespectful”, American GM Wesley So offered that had he been captain of the Indian team he would have placed the 20-year-old on Board 1.
